Process for producing metals and alloys



Patented Oct. 15, 1929 NITED STATES TUBE ROBERT HAGLUND, F STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN PROCESS FOB- PRODTIGING METALS AND ALLOYS Ito Drawing. Application filed October 16, 1926, Serial No. 142,151, and in Sweden october 23, 1925.

This invention relates to a process for producing metals and alloys by reduction in the electric furnace of oxides or. oxide ores under such conditions that a layer of slag covering it the metal or alloy is formed.

To facilitate reduction in electro-metallurgical processes it has been suggested to mix oxides or oxide ores in a finely crushed state with the necessary quantity of reducing agent n and out of that mixture manufacture briuettes. Hereby the advantage was gained t at reduction could take place at a lower temperature than otherwise would have been the case. This process has, however, also its is disadvantages, andspecially when production of carbon-poor metals is concerned. The course of reduction in the briquettes proceeds continually. Therefore the metal particles reduced out come as a rule easily in contact to with such finely divided carbon particles in the briquettes that not yet had time to react. with oxide. The result thereof is the formation of carbides that later have to be refined. To lessen the said formation of carat hide, the quantity of reducing agent in the briquettes was usually decreased. This means, however, could hitherto be applied only to a very restricted extent, because it caused a very limited yield of metal.

This invention has for its object among others to remove the last named disadvantage. According to the process that isthe ob ect of the present invention only a part of the reducing agent intended for the reduc- 35 tion of the oxides present in the briquettes is added within the briquettes, whereas another part is added separately. This latter part of the reducing agent may according to this invention consist either of carbonaceous reduc-- to lug agent, such as coke, anthracite, char-coal, or the same may partly consist of metallic reagents' The quantity of reducing agent resent in the briquettes may be varied within rather wide limits and needs not necessar- 4 s ily wholly consist of carbonaceous material although this as a rule is most desirable. According to this invention, however, the quantit bri tiuettes should at least be as large as is 50 necessary for the reduction of of the of carbonaceous reducing agent in the oxide quantity in the briquettes that will be subJected to reduction, but should be less than 80% except in some cases described below.

on choosing the percentage of reduc- 111g agent within the briquettes it is of course necessary to take into consideration the na ture of the ore or oxide that is to be reduced. But it is also necessary to consider in which form the reducing agent outside of the briquettes is added. If the latter wholly or partly consists of carbonaceous material in lump or grain form, such at coke, charcoal. anthracite, the best results are usually reached, if a comparatively high percentage of the reducing agent is used within the briquettes, for instance 70% or more. In electrothermic processes for reduction of oxides in the commonly used way, for example the productionlof ferrosilicon, high carbon ferrochromium and the like, by means of lumps or grains of carbon reducing agents, the electric energy is to a very considerable extent spread sideways in the charge, owing to the high electric conductivity of the carbon material and that said carbon material usually in volume constitutes the main part of the charge. By briquetting according to this invention of a part of the carbon material together with oxide or oxide ore, the contact points between remaining unbriquetted carbon particles are reduced in a relatively much higher extent. AS the bri uettes themselves are very poor conductors or the current, therefore already a atial briquettin of the carbon with oxide Wlll. have the resu t that the energy mainly is concentrated to a zone between the under part of the electrode and the slag. The voltage may suitably be so re ulated that an arc is formed between the under part of the electrode and the slag bath. Hereby the slagbath is heated very strongly and the main course of the reaction therefore concentrated within a very little space in close proximity to the slag-bath. Metal reduced out of the briquettes will therefore almost immediately drop downinto the slag-bath and thus has a very little possibility to react for formation of carbides with the carbon material added in form of lumps or grains. In order to further diminish the possibilities of reduced ,terial added as lumps or grains will mainly {enter into reaction first when it comes into contact with the slag, whose temperature shall bekept high in order to prevail for the necessary conditions for refinin formed carbides. To facilitate this roce ure, the com-- tinually or discontinually which last named ,manner as a rule is to be preferred, if the "charging material does not contain a high percentage of carbonaceous reducing agent .in lump or grain form. Reducing carbon of lum or grain form present in the charge is pre erably mixed with the ore briquettes at or-before the charging operation. In some cases it has, however, proved to be of advantage after a tapping, first to add a part of the lump or grain formed reducing carbon and thereupon a mixture of the remaining material. s

Abovewas stated that all or a part of the reducing agent not contained in the ore briquettes might be added. in the form of metallic reagents. These reducing agents may be mixed with the other charging material. As 'a rule it is however better first. to let a certain quantit of the other charging material be smelte down", and suitably also further heated for refining, before the metallic reagent'is added. By the action of such reducing agent a ra id reduction of further oxide 'uantities 1s effected. The quantit of su dh reducing agent may of course varied within rather wide limits,

" but should generally be lower than of the total' quantity of reducing agent. In many cases it has proved to'be quite sutficient to use about 10% of this more expensive reducing agent. The term metallic reagent in the descri tion and the claims is intended to include silicon and alloys. As an exam 1e of metallic reagents may be mentioned a uminum, silicium, calcium, and alloys contaming them, such as ferro-sihcium, ferro-aluminum, silicium calcium. \Vhen producing chromlum orjchrommm alloys, a reducing agent containin chromium, and silicium or:

uminum, or a 1 three of them is used with advantage. When producin man anese alloys,a redu ing a ent in the orm o siliciummanganese is (pre "reagent shoul pr erably used. The metallic eferably have a higher specific gravity than the slag bath.

The present process can be carried out in furnaces of the commonly used types for electro-metallurg'ical processes, for instance of a similar kind as those used in the manufacture of ferro-silicium. The bottom of the furnace should however generally be made of noncarbonaceous material.

For the briquettin known methods and binding agents may used, such as pitch, sulphite-lye, tar, lime, clay and water, and others. The material should be finely ground and intimately mixed.

The following examples of the application of the invention are given:

When roducing aluminum or high-percentage a uminum alloys in accordance with this invention, the charge will consist of a mixture of briquettes containing material holding aluminum oxide and carbonaceous reducin agent, the remaining reducing a ent being a ded as lump or grain formed re ucing carbon, such as char-coal, anthracite and coke. In the charge should preferably also be present a. sul hurous material, such as CaS, A1,,S,, Basd or CaSO and the necessary quantity of reducing agent for the formation of BaS or OaS respectively. It is suitable to add between 30 and of the reducing agent as lump or rain formed reducing carbon, while with a ower percentage thereof a decomposition of briquettes coming into contact with the slag may occur to an unfavourable extent on account oi the fluidity of the sulphide slag. Examples of the composition of the charge:

Em. 1.Briquettes, 1200 kg. (containing 1000 kg. of bauxite, 140 kg. of coke, 60 k of pitch); coke in lump form, 170 kg.; 118, 125 kg.

The production of high-percentage silicium alloys is carried out in a similar way as that described above for aluminum.

When producing ferro-chromium, however, the reducing agent not briquetted togethcr with chromium oxide ore may be added wholly or partly as lumps or grains of carbon material and in the latter case partly as a metallic reagent. Alternatively one art of the carbon material, which is not riquetted together with chromium oxide ore, may be briquetted together with certain additions of mainly slag-forming nature. Fol,- lowing example is glven:

Em. 2.Chromium oxide ore containing briquettes, 1120 kg. (containing 1000 kg. of chromium ore, kg. of coke, and 50 kg. of pitch) slag-forming material containing briquettes, 177 kg. (containing 100 kg. of chromium slag, 30 kg. of lime, 40 kg. of coke, and 7 kg. of pitch) coke in lump form, 30 kg.; char-coal in lump form, 25 k When using a meta lic reagent tbs process is for instance so carried out that achar e of briquettes first is smelted together with mp int or grain formed reducing. carbon. The quantity of reducing agent may for instance be so adapted that the slag will contain about 25% of Cr O On account of the sla then containing a high percentage of Cr the refining is facilitated so that a product with a very low percentage of carbon is received. 'lhereupon so much chromium silicon, ferrosilicon, or the like, is added that for. instance about half of the chromium in the slag is reduced out.

In a similar way as chromium and chromium alloys several other metals may be produced out of their respective oxides or oxide ores, for instance manganese, tungsten, vanadium, iron and others, and alloys containing such metals.

The invention also embraces such a modification of the process, in which the charge besides the above mentioned ingredients also contains a'certain part of ore in lump form together with the corresponding quantity of reducing agent.

The term briquettes in the claims is intended to include all kinds of lumps containing the mixed material referred to.

With the word lumps in the claims are understood, pieces ranging in size from tha of a grain up to larger size.

I claim:

1. Process for producing metals or alloys with afiinity to carbon, comprising reducing in an electric furnace oxides by means of carbon admixed in the charge to one part as ingredients of briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon, and to another part, not less than 20 percent, as lumps of carbon material.

2. Process for producing metals or alloys with afiinity to carbon, comprising reducing in an electric furnace oxides by means of carbon admixed to one part, not less than 25 percent and not more than 80 percent, as ingredients of briquettes of a. mixture of oxide raw material and carbon and to another part, not less than 20 percent, as lumps of carbon material.

3. Process of producing metals or alloys with atlinity to carbon, comprising reducing in an electric furnace oxides by means of carbon, admixing the latter to the charge to one part, not less than 25 percent, as ingredients of briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon, and admixing another part, not less than 20 percent, of the carbon materlal and another part of the oxide raw material each separately in form of lumps.

4-. Process for producing metals or alloys with aflinity to carbon, com rising reducing in an electric furnace oxides y means of carbon admixed to one part as ingredients of briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon, the latter in an amount corresponding to the reduction of between 40 to percent of the oxide to be reduced out of the briquettes, and to another part admixed as lumps of carbon material.

5. Process for producing metals and alloys with afiinity to carbon comprising reducing oxide raw material added as ingredients of briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and an unsufficient amount of carbon material for its reduction, on fusing in an electric furnace, partly by means of the carbon conte'nt in the briquettes and to another part not less than 20 and not more than percent by means of carbon reducing agents admitted outside of said briquettes.

6. Process for producing low carbon metals or alloys comprising fusing briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon, in an electric furnace together with another part of the reducing agent admixed as lumps of carbon material forming on fusing a refining slag covering the metal or alloy and refining the metal or alloy by strongly heating the slag before tapping.

7. Process for producing low carbon metals or alloys comprising fusing briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon, the latter in an amount not less than 25 and not more than percent of the total amount of reducing agents, in an electric furnace together with another part of the reducing agents not less than 20' percent in form of lumps of carbon material, regulating the slag forming ingredients in the charge as to form a refractory refining slag covering the reduced metal or alloy and refining the metal or alloy by strongly heating the slag before tapping.

8. Process for producing low carbon.

metals or alloys comprising fusing briquettes of a mixture of oxide raw material and carbon'the latter in a quantity not less than 25 percent of the total amount of reducing agent, in an electric furnace together with another part not less than 20 percent of the reducing agents in form of lumps of carbon material, regulating the. amount of named reducing agent as to form a slag still containing a considerable amount of the oxide to be reduced and before tapping reducing oxide out of said slag by means of a metallic reagent.

9. Process for producing aluminum or aluminum alloys by reducing aluminum oxide containing material with carbon in an electric furnace comprising admitting one part of the carbon in form of lumps of carbon material and another part as ingredients of briquettes of a mixture of carbon material and aluminum oxide raw material.

10. Process for producing. aluminum or aluminum alloys comprising fusing briquettes of a mixture of aluminum oxide raw material and at least 25 percent of the reducing agents in form of carbon material, in an electric furnace together with not less than 20 percent of the reducing agent in form of lumps of carbon material.

a sulfide containing slag by means of sulfide slag forming additions.

12. Process for producing aluminum or aluminum alloys comprising fusing briquettes of a mixture of aluminum oxide material and atleast 25 percent of the reducing agents in form of carbon material, in an electric furnace together with not less than 20 percent of the reducing agents added in form of lumps of carbon material, forming on fusing over the reduced metal or alloy a slag containing to a main part'calcium sulfide.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

TURE ROBERT I IAGLUND.

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